New Delhi: CBI on Wednesday registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) to probe alleged misuse of emergency railway tickets by some railway unions in collusion with some of travel agents.

Sources in the agency said the PE was registered against unknown persons to carry out a thorough probe for misuse of railway tickets issued under quota to various railway unions.

According to the PE, some of the office bearers were allegedly colluding with travel agents for confirming railway tickets at a premium, the sources said.

CBI had arrested a Railway Board member earlier last year in an alleged bribery case and carried out raids at various places during which some documents were recovered which indicated that such a practice is being followed by some individuals, the sources said.

CBI had, during a discreet probe, claimed to have found that these emergency quota tickets were being handed over to some travel agents who used to charge a huge price for confirming a waiting listed ticket.
A senior CBI official claimed it was a full-fledged racket and there were instances when waiting listed tickets of the rich and the powerful, including businessmen, were being confirmed from this quota.
The official said the travel agents had been identified and would be called for examination soon besides some of the office bearers of a few railway unions who had allowed confirmation of wait listed tickets.